James Corden Recalls Takeoff's Nickname for Him and Memories of Migos Rapper on 'Late Late Show' (Exclusive)

James Corden is remembering a musical great. The TV personality and actor opened up about his memories of the late Migos rapper Takeoff.

Corden spoke with ET's Will Marfuggi on Wednesday at the Los Angeles premiere of his new drama series, Mammals -- ahead of the show's debut on Amazon Prime Video on Nov. 11 -- and he recalled the time he spent with Takeoff while shooting a "Carpool Karaoke" segment with Migos for The Late Late Show.

"It's devastating," Corden shared. "My abiding memory of him was just that he was so kind, he was so laidback, he was funny. He would always call me Big Drip if I saw him, which he knew I just loved."

"I never knew, until I heard the news of his passing, that the reason he was called Takeoff is cause often he would just record all of his verses in one take, and that was it," Corden continued. "He was such an accomplished musician. What he did, he changed the needle on trap music."

"We really lost someone incredibly, incredibly special there, we really, really have," Corden added somberly.

The 44-year-old British host took a minute to honor Takeoff during Tuesday's episode of The Late Late Show.

Noting that he was "utterly devastated" to hear the news that the Migos rapper had died at the age of 28, Corden went on to share some personal thoughts about Takeoff, who he described as "funny and kind." 

"My biggest feeling when I was around him was just how much he loved music. He lived for it," Corden said. "And it was that love of music that essentially willed Migos into existence."

Noting that Takeoff was "so proud" of all that his rap trio achieved, Corden said that Takeoff "influenced the entire world" and "helped define trap music." 

The late-night host also gushed about his own memories with Takeoff, saying, "I got to spend some unforgettable moments with Takeoff over the past few years. He was an incredible guy, warm and generous. Whenever I'd see him, he'd always call me 'Big Drip,' and he knew how much I loved that. And I loved being around him and every member of Migos." 

He ended the message by saying, "Our thoughts are with his family and all of his friends. We have lost someone incredibly special today."

Migos appeared on The Late Late Show multiples times in recent years. The group's most memorable appearance took place in 2018 when they participated in a hilarious Carpool Karaoke segment with Corden. The clip currently has more than 60 million views on YouTube. 

Takeoff, whose real name is Kirshnik Khari Ball, died in the early morning hours on Tuesday after a fatal shooting in Houston, Texas. 

Migos' label, Quality Control, released a statement on Tuesday, saying, "It is with broken hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the loss of our beloved brother [Kirshnik] Khari Ball, known to the world as Takeoff. Senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated."

Many more stars have since spoken out, honoring Takeoff's legacy. 

RELATED CONTENT:

Takeoff Killed at 28 | ET's The Download

This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

Up Next

Takeoff Dead at 28: Migos Record Label Releases Statement

Takeoff Dead at 28: Drake, Kylie Jenner and More Celebs React

Takeoff, Migos Rapper, Dead at 28 After Fatal Shooting

Related Gallery

Takeoff Through the Years